Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - December - 2006 Issue

European and American Autographs from David Schulson

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Item 37 is the assassin's letter. It was written in 1868 by Charles Guiteau to his brother-in-law. It speaks of his financial difficulties. Guiteau had previously been a member of the upstate New York religious Oneida Community. Now short of funds, he came up with the idea of suing the Community for his work spreading their message. The Oneida Community, in essence, told him "no thanks." If Guiteau was already acting very strange, he would go much deeper into his insanity in the years ahead. Thirteen years later, rejected in an attempt to be appointed to an ambassadorship, Guiteau concluded God had commanded him to assassinate President Garfield. He succeeded. Though obviously totally insane, Guiteau was convicted and executed the following year. $2,000.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, most noted for his detective creation, Sherlock Holmes, was a spiritualist, that is, someone who believed you could contact the dead. Writing most likely about the deceased spiritualist and inspiration for his novels Fletcher Robinson, Doyle writes, "I have never heard from Robinson but that I have heard beyond all doubt from others." That may be kind of strong. I think perhaps there is a little bit of doubt that he actually heard from other dead people. Item 23. $1,650.

David Schulson Autographs may be found online at www.schulsonautographs.com, telephone 212-629-3939. You may view all of the items from this catalogue through the following link: Books For Sale.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Manuscript Masterpieces from the Schøyen Collection
    London auction, 11 June
    BROWSE NOW
    Christie’s, Explore now: The Holkham Hebrew Bible. In Hebrew, decorated manuscript on vellum [Toledo, 2nd quarter 13th century]. £1,500,000–3,000,000
    Christie’s, Explore now: The Crosby-Schøyen Codex. In Coptic, manuscript on papyrus [Upper Egypt, middle 3rd century / 4th century]. £2,000,000–3,000,000
    Christie’s, Explore now: The Geraardsbergen Bible. In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Southern Netherlands, late 12th century]. £700,000–1,000,000
    Christie’s, Explore now : Jean de Courcy (fl. 1420). The Chronique de la Bouquechardiere. In French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Paris, c.1480]. £200,000–300,000
    Christie’s, Explore now: The ‘Catherine de Medici’ Hours. In Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Paris, c.1485]. £120,000–180,000
  • Freeman’s | Hindman, June 6: MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, IN THE BAL FIRST BINDING. $12,000 - $18,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, June 6: PUZO, Mario (1920-1999). The Godfather. FIRST EDITION, PROOF COPY in wrappers. SIGNED BY PUZO. $3,000 - $5,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, June 7: HUGHES, Langston. Scottsboro Limited. 1932. FIRST EDITION, LIMITED ISSUE. INSCRIBED BY HUGHES TO NOEL SULLIVAN. $6,000 - $8,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, June 7: HOMANN, Johann Baptist, HOMANN HEIRS, and Georg Matthäus SEUTTER. [Composite Atlas]. [maps dated between 1728-1765]. $30,000 - $40,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Winston Churchill. The Second World War. Set of First-Edition Volumes. 6,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard. A Collection of The Pooh Books. Set of First-Editions. 18,600 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Salvador Dalí, Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Finely Bound and Signed Limited Edition. 15,000 USD
    Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ian Fleming. Live and Let Die. First Edition. 9,500 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter Series. Finely Bound First Printing Set of Complete Series. 5,650 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms. First Edition, First Printing. 4,200 USD
  • Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Heller, Joseph, Closing Time, Advance Readers Copy of Uncorrected Proof with a letter from Heller on his personal stationary
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Gates, Bill, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, N Y: Knopf, 2021; first edition, with a handwritten note from Bill Gates
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Heller, Joseph, Catch-22, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961, first edition, first printing, first issue dust jacket, inscribed on the front end paper by Heller
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Heller, Joseph, Something Happened, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974, first edition, inscribed on the front end paper by Heller
    Bid on iGavelAuctions.com: Austen, Jane, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, London: John Murray, 1818, in four volumes

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